Method of forming memory device

ABSTRACT

A method of forming a memory device includes: forming a polish stop layer over a metallization layer in an inter-metal dielectric layer; performing an etching process to form an opening in the polish stop layer, in which a sidewall of the opening extends at an acute angle relative to a top surface of the polish stop layer; forming an electrode material in the opening and over the polish stop layer; planarizing the electrode material until a top surface of the polish stop layer is exposed so as to form a bottom electrode surrounded by the polish stop layer; and forming a stack of a resistance switching layer and a top electrode over the bottom electrode.

PRIORITY CLAIM AND CROSS-REFERENCE

The present application is a Divisional Application of the U.S.application Ser. No. 15/870,620, filed Jan. 12, 2018, now U.S. Pat. No.10,497,436, issued Dec. 3, 2019, which claims priority to U.S.Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/591,113, filed Nov. 27, 2017, whichis herein incorporated by reference in their entirety.

BACKGROUND

In integrated circuit (IC) devices, resistive random access memory(RRAM) is an emerging technology for next generation non-volatile memorydevices. RRAM is a memory structure including an array of RRAM cellseach of which stores a bit of data using resistance values.Particularly, RRAM cell includes a resistive material layer, theresistance of which can be adjusted to represent logic “0” or logic “1.”

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Aspects of the present disclosure are best understood from the followingdetailed description when read with the accompanying figures. It isnoted that, in accordance with the standard practice in the industry,various features are not drawn to scale. In fact, the dimensions of thevarious features may be arbitrarily increased or reduced for clarity ofdiscussion.

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a semiconductor device in accordancewith some embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the semiconductor devicein FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a flow chart of a method of forming a memory device inaccordance with some embodiments.

FIGS. 4A, 4B, 4C, 4D, 4E and 4F are cross-sectional views of the memorydevice at various stages of the method in FIG. 3 in accordance with someembodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 5 is a flow chart of a method of forming a memory device inaccordance with some embodiments.

FIGS. 6A, 6B and 6C are cross-sectional views of the memory device atvarious stages of the method in FIG. 5 in accordance with someembodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 7 is a flow chart of a method of forming a memory device inaccordance with some embodiments.

FIGS. 8A, 8B and 8C are cross-sectional views of the memory device atvarious stages of the method in FIG. 7 in accordance with someembodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 9 is a flow chart of a method of forming a memory device inaccordance with some embodiments.

FIGS. 10A, 10B, 10C, 10D and 10E are cross-sectional views of the memorydevice at various stages of the method in FIG. 9 in accordance with someembodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 11 is a flow chart of a method of forming a memory device inaccordance with some embodiments.

FIGS. 12A, 12B and 12C are cross-sectional views of the memory device atvarious stages of the method in FIG. 11 in accordance with someembodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 13 is a flow chart of a method of forming a memory device inaccordance with some embodiments.

FIGS. 14A, 14B and 14C are cross-sectional views of the memory device atvarious stages of the method in FIG. 13 in accordance with someembodiments of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following disclosure provides many different embodiments, orexamples, for implementing different features of the provided subjectmatter. Specific examples of components and arrangements are describedbelow to simplify the present disclosure. These are, of course, merelyexamples and are not intended to be limiting. For example, the formationof a first feature over or on a second feature in the description thatfollows may include embodiments in which the first and second featuresare formed in direct contact, and may also include embodiments in whichadditional features may be formed between the first and second features,such that the first and second features may not be in direct contact. Inaddition, the present disclosure may repeat reference numerals and/orletters in the various examples. This repetition is for the purpose ofsimplicity and clarity and does not in itself dictate a relationshipbetween the various embodiments and/or configurations discussed.

Further, spatially relative terms, such as “beneath,” “below,” “lower,”“above,” “upper” and the like, may be used herein for ease ofdescription to describe one element or feature's relationship to anotherelement(s) or feature(s) as illustrated in the figures. The spatiallyrelative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of thedevice in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted inthe figures. The apparatus may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degreesor at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors usedherein may likewise be interpreted accordingly.

FIG. 1 illustrates a system-on-chip (SOC) 100, which may include aplurality of functional areas fabricated on a single substrate. Asdepicted in FIG. 1, the SOC 100 includes a logic area 110 and anon-volatile memory (NVM) cell 130. The logic area 110 may includecircuitry, such as an exemplary transistor 112, for processinginformation received from the non-volatile memory cell 130 and forcontrolling reading and writing functions of the NVM cell 130. In someembodiments, the NVM cell 130 is a resistive random-access memory (RRAM)cell; the RRAM is one of several different types of non-volatilecomputer memory. While the NVM cell 130 may frequently be referred toherein as an RRAM cell 130, the SOC 100 is not limited to RRAM cells.

An RRAM cell may be used to hold a binary piece of data, or a bit, byaltering the properties of an intermediate dielectric layer in memoryelements in such a way so as to alter the resistance of the layer. A bitmay be encoded by setting the resistance of the dielectric layer to arelatively high resistance state or a relatively low resistance state,with a value of one assigned to one state and a value of zero assignedto the other state. More particularly, an RRAM cell operates under theprinciple that a dielectric, which is normally insulating, can be madeto conduct through filaments or conduction paths formed after theapplication of a sufficiently high voltage. The forming of filaments orconduction paths can be referred to as a forming operation or formingprocess of the RRAM cell. The sufficiently high voltage can be referredto as a ‘form’ voltage used in the forming operation of the RRAM cell.The ‘form’ voltage is a different voltage from the voltage used to readand write the RRAM cell. In some embodiments, the ‘form’ voltage is at ahigher absolute value or has a different polarity. During the writeoperation, the filaments or conductions path are broken by passing avoltage different from the ‘form’ voltage. In some embodiments, the‘write’ voltage has a different polarity than the ‘form’ voltage. Asubsequent write operation applies yet a different voltage that is lessthan the ‘form’ voltage to reconnect the broken filament. By changingthe filaments, a high or low resistance is stored in the RRAM cell thatdoes not change when the power is removed. Either the high resistance orthe low resistance may be read as a “0” or “1”, respectively. During aread operation, a ‘read’ voltage is applied across the RRAM cell. Insome embodiments, the ‘read’ voltage is much smaller than the ‘write’voltage to avoid inadvertent writing of the RRAM cell to a differentvalue.

The RRAM cell includes a layer of high-k dielectric material arrangedbetween bottom and top electrodes disposed within a back-end-of-the-line(BEOL) metallization stack. The RRAM cell is operated based upon aprocess of reversible switching between resistive states of the high-kdielectric material. An RRAM cell having a first (e.g., high) resistivestate corresponds to a first data value (e.g., a logical “0”) and anRRAM cell having a second (e.g., low) resistive state corresponds to asecond data value (e.g., a logical “1”). This reversible switching isenabled by selectively forming conductive filaments through the layer ofhigh-k dielectric material. For example, the layer of high-k dielectricmaterial, which is normally insulating, can be made to conduct byapplying a voltage across the bottom and top electrodes to formconductive filaments extending through the layer of high-k dielectricmaterial. It is observed that unwanted distribution of conductivefilaments would occur in the layer of high-k dielectric material, if thelayer of high-k dielectric material is coated on a sharp corner (i.e.corner with an acute angle) of the bottom electrode. For example,conductive filaments may be unwantedly formed around the sharp corner ofthe bottom electrode. The unwanted distribution of conductive filamentswould lead to unwanted leakage paths from the bottom electrode to thetop electrode, which in turn would frustrate control of the RRAM cell.Embodiments of the present disclosure offer advantages, such asaddressing the aforesaid issue about the unwanted distribution offilaments in the layer of high-k dielectric material, though it isunderstood that other embodiments may offer different advantages, notall advantages are necessarily discussed herein, and no particularadvantage is required for all embodiments.

Attention is now invited to FIGS. 1 and 2. The RRAM cell 130 may includemetal-insulator-metal (MIM) structures 140. Each MIM structure 140 mayinclude a bottom electrode 142 and top electrode 146, with a high-kdielectric layer 144 in between the two electrodes 142 and 146. Statedin a different way, the bottom electrode 142 is separated from the topelectrode 146 by the high-k dielectric layer 144. Conductive filaments144 c, comprising chains of oxygen vacancies, may extend from the bottomelectrode 142 to the top electrode 146 through the high-k dielectriclayer 144 after the ‘form’ operation has been performed on the RRAM cell130. As a result, a resistance of the high-k dielectric layer 144 can bealtered, and hence the high-k dielectric layer 144 can be equivalentlyreferred to as a resistance switching layer in some embodiments. Thebottom electrode 142 has a top surface 142 t and a sidewall 142 sextending from an edge of the top surface 142 t at an obtuse anglerelative to the top surface 142 t. Stated in another way, an includedangle Θ1 between the top surface 142 t and the sidewall 142 s of thebottom electrode 142 is greater than 90 degrees. The obtuse includedangle Θ1 between the top surface 142 t and the sidewall 142 s of thebottom electrode 142 forms a smooth top corner rather than a sharp topcorner. Smooth contour of the top corner of the bottom electrode 142contributes to reducing unwanted formation of conductive filaments 144 caround the top corner, which in turn will decrease unwanted leakagepaths between the bottom and top electrodes 142 and 146, which in turnwill result in improved control and reliability of the RRAM cell 130.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, in some embodiments, the sidewall 142 s of thebottom electrode 142 is curved. By way of example, the sidewall 142 s ofthe bottom electrode 142 is a convex surface, so that the included angleΘ1 between the top surface 142 t and the sidewall 142 s of the bottomelectrode 142 can be greater than 90 degrees, which in turn willdecrease unwanted leakage paths between the bottom and top electrodes142 and 146.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, in some embodiments, the bottom electrode 142includes a top portion PT in contact with the resistance switching layer144. The top portion PT tapers towards the resistance switching layer144. For example, the top portion PT of the bottom electrode 142 has awidth decreasing as a distance from the resistance switching layer 144decreases. The taper profile of the top portion PT would result in anobtuse included angle Θ1 between the top surface 142 t and the sidewall142 s of the bottom electrode 142, which in turn will be advantageousfor reduction of unwanted leakage paths between the bottom and topelectrodes 142 and 146. In further embodiments, the top portion PT ofthe bottom electrode 142 has a convex sidewall extending at an obtuseangle relative to the top surface 142 t of the bottom electrode 142.

In some embodiments, the bottom electrode 142 further includes a bottomportion PB below the top portion PB. The bottom portion PB tapers awayfrom the top portion PT. Because the resistance switching layer 144 isabove the top portion PT of the bottom electrode 142, the bottom portionPB tapers away from the resistance switching layer 144 as well. Forexample, the bottom portion PB has a width decreasing as a distance fromthe resistance switching layer 144 increases. In further embodiments,the bottom portion PB of the bottom electrode 142 has a convex sidewallcontinuously extending from the convex sidewall of the top portion PB.

In some embodiments, the bottom electrode 142 may be made of gold (Au),platinum (Pt), ruthenium (Ru), iridium (Ir), titanium (Ti), aluminum(Al), copper (Cu), tantalum (Ta), tungsten (W), iridium-tantalum alloy(Ir—Ta) or indium-tin oxide (ITO), or any alloy, oxide, nitride,fluoride, carbide, boride or silicide of these, such as TaN, TiN, TiAlN,TiW, combinations thereof, or the like.

The resistance switching layer 144 is formed over the bottom electrode142 and directly contacts the bottom electrode 142. In some embodiments,the resistance switching layer 144 may include one or more oxide of W,Ta, Ti, Ni, Co, Hf, Ru, Zr, Zn, Fe, Sn, Al, Cu, Ag, Mo, Cr, othersuitable materials, or the like. In some cases, silicon may be includedto form a composite material. In some embodiments, hafnium oxide and/orzirconium oxide are used.

The top electrode 146 is formed over the resistance switching layer 144.In some embodiments, the top electrode 146 may be formed from materialssuch as gold (Au), platinum (Pt), ruthenium (Ru), iridium (Ir), titanium(Ti), aluminum (Al), copper (Cu), tantalum (Ta), tungsten (W),iridium-tantalum alloy (Ir—Ta) or indium-tin oxide (ITO), or any alloy,oxide, nitride, fluoride, carbide, boride or silicide of these, such asTaN, TiN, TiAlN, TiW, combinations thereof, or the like.

The MIM structures 140 may be fabricated in conjunction with usingsemiconductor fabrication techniques known to those of skill in the art.Other types of non-volatile computer memory that may be substituted forthe RRAM cell in some embodiments of the SOC 100 that include flashmemory, ferroelectric RAM, magnetic RAM, phase-change RAM.

Other features depicted in FIG. 1 include shallow-trench isolation (STI)features, and pluralities of metallization layers and vias. As depicted,the SOC 100 is fabricated using, for example, five metallization layers,labeled as M1 through M5, with five layers of metallization vias orinterconnects, labeled as V1 through V5. Other embodiments may containmore or fewer metallization layers and a corresponding more or fewernumber of vias. The RRAM cell 130 includes a full metallization stackconnecting the MIM structures 140 to the RRAM transistors 132, and apartial metallization stack connecting a source line to the RRAMtransistors 132. The MIM structures 140 are depicted as being fabricatedin between the top of the M4 layer and the bottom the M5 layer, andhence bottom electrodes 142 of the MIM structures 140 are in contactwith the M4 layer. Therefore, the bottom electrodes 142 are electricallyconnected to the M4 layer. The logic area 110 includes a fullmetallization stack, including a portion of each of metallization layersM1-M5 connected by interconnects V2-V5, with V1 connecting the stack toa source/drain contact of the logic transistor 112.

Also included in SOC 100 is a plurality of inter-metal dielectric (IMD)layers. Six IMD layers, identified as IMD0 through IMD5 are depicted inFIG. 1 as spanning the logic area 110 and the RRAM cell 130. The IMDlayers may provide electrical insulation as well as structural supportfor the various features of the SOC 100 during many fabrication processsteps, some of which will be discussed herein. For example, the IMDlayers can act as structural support for the MIM structures 140.Specifically, the MIM structures 140 are disposed over a top surface ofIMD4. In some embodiments, the IMD layers may be silicon oxide, low-ksilicon oxide such as a porous silicon oxide layer, other suitableinterlayer dielectric (ILD) material, other suitable inter-metaldielectric material, combinations thereof, or the like. In someembodiments, the IMD layers are low-k dielectric layers made from extralow-k materials, extreme low-k materials, combinations thereof, or thelike. In some embodiments, IMD layers may have a dielectric constantlower than 2.4. In some embodiments, IMD layers are made usingdiethoxymethylsilane (mDEOS) or the like as a precursor gas in achemical vapor deposition (CVD) process. However, other low-k dielectricmaterials may be used as well.

Also included in the SOC 100 is a polish stop layer 150. The polish stoplayer 150 spans the logic area 110 and the RRAM cell 130 and is used toslow down or even stop the chemical mechanical polish (CMP) operationperformed to the bottom electrodes 142 during fabrication of the MIMstructures 140. In some embodiments, the polish stop layer 150 mayinclude dielectric materials, such as silicon oxynitride, siliconnitride, carbon doped silicon nitride, carbon doped silicon oxide, othersuitable dielectric materials, combinations thereof, or the like. Thepolish stop layer 150 can be equivalently referred to as a dielectriclayer over IMD4 in some embodiments. The polish stop layer 150 and thebottom electrodes 142 have different CMP properties. In furtherembodiments, the polish stop layer 150 is selected to have a differentCMP resistance selectivity than the bottom electrodes 142. As a result,the CMP stop layer 150 can slow down or even stop the CMP operationperformed to the bottom electrodes 142.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the bottom electrode 142 is embedded inthe polish stop layer 150. Stated differently, the bottom electrode 142is surrounded by and in contact with the polish stop layer 150. As aresult, the convex sidewalls of the top and bottom portions PT and PB ofthe bottom electrode 142 are in contact with the polish stop layer 150.For example, the polish stop layer 150 has a sidewall 150 s in contactwith and conformal to the sidewall 142 s of the bottom electrode 142. Asa result, the sidewall 150 s of the polish stop layer 150 is curved aswell. In further embodiments, the sidewall 150 s of the polish stoplayer 150 is concave, and the sidewall 150 s of the polish stop layer150 and the sidewall 142 s of the bottom electrode 142 havesubstantially the same curvature.

Referring now to FIG. 3, illustrated is a method M1 of forming a memorydevice in accordance with some embodiments. The method M1 may beincorporated into a back-end-of-line (BEOL) process in some embodiments.It is understood that parts of the method M1 and/or any of the exemplarymetallization and dielectric layers discussed with reference to themethod M1 may be fabricated by a BEOL process flow, and thus someprocesses are briefly described herein. FIGS. 4A, 4B, 4C, 4D, 4E and 4Fare cross-sectional views of an SOC 200, which may be similar in manyaspects to SOC 100, in various stages of fabrication in accordance withsome embodiments of the present disclosure.

The method M1 begins at block S11 where a polish stop layer is formedover a metal structure surrounded by an IMD layer. Referring to FIG. 4A,in some embodiments of block S11, a polish stop layer 250 is blanketformed over an IMD layer 230 and over a metal structure 240 surroundedby the IMD layer 230. As illustrated, the IMD layer 230 and the metalstructure 240 are over an intermediate layer 220 formed on a substrate210. The substrate 210 may be a semiconductor substrate, such as asilicon substrate. Alternatively, the substrate 210 may comprise anotherelementary semiconductor, such as germanium or the like; a compoundsemiconductor including silicon carbide or the like; an alloysemiconductor including silicon germanium or the like; combinationsthereof, or the like. In some embodiments, the substrate 210 is asemiconductor on insulator (SOI) substrate. The substrate 210 mayinclude doped regions, such as p-wells and n-wells.

The intermediate layer 220 includes a plurality of semiconductor devicelayers that, for convenience and clarity, are not individually depicted.The plurality of layers depicted as the single intermediate layer 220may include transistors and contact layers, interconnects betweenmetallization layers, metallization layers, IMD layers, and others.Thus, for example, the intermediate layer 220 includes IMD0-3 and alllayers embedded therein as depicted by FIG. 1. Therefore, in someembodiments, the IMD layer 230 and the metal structure 240 areequivalently referred to as IMD4 and M4 as depicted in FIG. 1,respectively. The IMD layer 230 and the metal structure 240 may befabricated, for example, using a single damascene process or a dualdamascene process that includes a CMP process to planarize the metalstructure 240 with the IMD layer 230.

After planarizing the metal structure 240 with the IMD layer 230, thepolish stop layer 250 is blanket deposited over the IMD layer 230 andthe metal structure 240. The polish stop layer 250 may include siliconoxynitride, silicon nitride, carbon doped silicon nitride, carbon dopedsilicon oxide, other suitable materials, combinations thereof, or thelike. The polish stop layer 250 is selected to have a different CMPselectivity than a bottom electrode layer of the RRAM cell formed in asubsequent step. The polish stop layer 250 is deposited over theplanarized top surfaces of the IMD layer 230 and the metal structure 240using a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process such as plasma enhanced(PE) CVD, high-density plasma (HDP) CVD, inductively-coupled-plasma(ICP) CVD, thermal CVD, or the like.

Returning to FIG. 3, the method M1 then proceeds to block S12 where anopening is formed in the polish stop layer. With reference to FIG. 4B,in some embodiments of block S12, an etch process is carried out to thepolish stop layer 250 to form an opening O1 until the metal structure240 is exposed. Conditions of the etch process is selected such that asidewall 250 s of the opening O1 extends at an acute angle relative to atop surface of the polish stop layer 250. For example, an included angleΘ2 between the top surface 250 t of the polish stop layer 250 and thesidewall 250 s of the opening O1 is less than 90 degrees. This acuteangle Θ2 will be advantageous for forming a bottom electrode with asmooth top corner, as will be explained further below. In furtherembodiments, the sidewall 250 s of the opening O1 is curved. Forexample, the sidewall 250 s of the opening O1 is concave. Such a concaveopening O1 is advantageous from forming a bottom electrode with a convexsidewall. In some embodiments, the etching process is an isotropicetching process that etches horizontally as well as vertically into thetop surface 250 t of the polish stop layer 250. Examples of theisotropic etching process may include wet etching.

Returning to FIG. 3, the method M1 then proceeds to block S13 where abottom electrode layer is formed into the opening of the polish stoplayer. With reference to FIG. 4C, in some embodiments of block S13, theopening O1 in the polish stop layer 250 is overfilled with the bottomelectrode layer 260. For example, the opening O1 in the polish stoplayer 250 is filled up with a portion of the bottom electrode layer 260,and the top surface 250 t of the polish stop layer 250 is capped withanother portion of bottom electrode layer 260. The bottom electrodelayer 260 may include platinum, aluminum-copper alloy, tantalum nitride,titanium nitride, titanium, tantanium, tungsten, tungsten nitride,copper, other suitable conductors, combinations thereof, or the like.The bottom electrode layer 260 is deposited using a physical vapordeposition (PVD) process, a plating process, or the like. In some cases,a liner or a diffusion barrier layer may be deposited first, followed bya deposition of the bulk material using one of the known depositionmethods.

Returning to FIG. 3, the method M1 then proceeds to block S14 where aCMP process is performed to the bottom electrode layer until the polishstop layer is exposed. With reference to FIG. 4D, in some embodiments ofblock S14, a CMP process is carried out to remove excess materials ofthe bottom electrode layer 260 outside the opening O1 in the polish stoplayer 250, while leaving a portion of the bottom electrode layer 260 inthe opening O1 to serve as a bottom electrode 265.

CMP is a process that utilizes the reagent within slurry to reactchemically with the front face of the wafer, and produce an easilypolished layer. Herein, the front face of the wafer reacting with theslurry is top surface of the excess materials of the bottom electrodelayer 260. Such slurry may contain some active polishing ingredientssuch as abrasive particles. Together with the abrasive action providedby the abrasive particles in the slurry under a polishing pad, theexcess materials of the bottom electrode layer 260 are graduallyremoved.

In some embodiments, high-selectivity slurry (HSS), which has highselectivity between bottom electrode layer 260 and the polish stop layer250, may be used in the polish process so that the determination of thepolish end point is made clearer. That is, the polish stop layer 250 hasa property relating to the CMP different from that of the bottomelectrode layer 260, such that the polish stop layer 250 can slow downor even stop the CMP process. In some embodiments, the polish stop layer250 has a higher resistance to the polishing than that of the bottomelectrode layer 260. That is to say, in some embodiments, the polishstop layer 250 may have a greater hardness or a higher resistance tochemistries in the slurry than that of the bottom electrode layer 260.Therefore, the polish rate of the polish stop layer 250 is very slowcompared to the polish rate of the bottom electrode layer 260. In thisway, the CMP process is performed until the top surface of the polishstop layer 250 is exposed.

In some embodiments, conditions of the CMP is well controlled such thata top surface 265 t of the bottom electrode 265 is substantially flushwith (or level with) the top surface 250 t of the polish stop layer 250.Moreover, the bottom electrode 265 has a sidewall 265 s in contact withand conformal to the sidewall 250 s of the opening O1 in the polish stoplayer 250. As a result, the sidewall 265 s of the bottom electrode 265is convex and extends at an obtuse angle relative to the top surface 265t of the bottom electrode 265. For example, an included angle Θ3 betweenthe top surface 265 t and the sidewall 265 s of the bottom electrode 265is greater than 90 degrees, which in turn will form a smooth top cornerof the bottom electrode 265, which in turn will result in improvedcontrol of the RRAM cell, as discussed previously with respect to FIGS.1 and 2.

Returning to FIG. 3, the method M1 then proceeds to block S15 where astack of a resistance switching layer and a top electrode layer isformed over the bottom electrode and the polish stop layer. Withreference to FIG. 4E, in some embodiments of block S15, a resistanceswitching layer 270 and a top electrode layer 280 are formed in sequenceover the bottom electrode 265 and the polish stop layer 250. Theresistance switching layer 270 is a high-k dielectric layer thatincludes a metal oxide, which may be hafnium oxide, zinc oxide,zirconium oxide, aluminum oxide, nickel oxide, tantalum oxide, titaniumoxide, tungsten oxide, molybdenum oxide, copper oxide, other oxides,combinations thereof, or the like. The metal oxide may have anon-stoichiometric oxygen to metal ratio. Depending on the method ofdeposition, the oxygen to metal ratio and other process conditions maybe tuned to achieve specific dielectric layer properties. For example, aset of conditions may yield a low ‘form’ voltage and another set ofconditions may yield a low ‘read’ voltage. The metal oxide may bedeposited. In some embodiments, the metal oxide is a transition metaloxide. In other embodiments, the resistance switching layer 270 includesmetal oxynitride.

The resistance switching layer 270 may be formed by a suitabletechnique, such as atomic layer deposition (ALD) with a precursorcontaining a metal and oxygen. Other chemical vapor deposition (CVD)techniques may be used. In other embodiments, the resistance switchinglayer 270 may be formed by a physical vapor deposition (PVD), such as asputtering process with a metallic target and with a gas supply ofoxygen and optionally nitrogen to the PVD chamber. In yet otherembodiments, the resistance switching layer 270 may be formed using anelectron-beam deposition process.

The top electrode layer 280 may be metal, metal-nitride, dopedpolysilicon, other suitable conductive material, combinations thereof,or the like. For example, the top electrode layer 280 may have the samematerial as the bottom electrode 265, such as platinum, aluminum-copperalloy, tantalum nitride, titanium nitride, titanium, tantanium,tungsten, tungsten nitride, copper, other suitable conductors,combinations thereof, or the like. The top electrode layer 280 may beformed by PVD, CVD including ALD, or other suitable technique.

Returning to FIG. 3, the method M1 then proceeds to block S16 where thestack of the resistance switching layer and the top electrode layer ispatterned. With reference to FIG. 4F, in some embodiments of block S16,the resistance switching layer 270 and the top electrode layer 280 arepatterned to form a stack of a resistance switching layer 275 and a topelectrode 285 over the bottom electrode 265. The bottom and topelectrodes 265, 285, and the resistance switching layer 275 therebetweenare in combination referred to as the MIM structure of RRAM cell, asdiscussed previously with respect to FIGS. 1 and 2. The patterningincludes a photolithography operation where a photoresist is deposited,a pattern is defined by exposing photoresist to a radiation, anddeveloping the photoresist to create a photoresist pattern. Thephotoresist pattern is then used as an etch mask to protect portions ofthe top electrode layer 280 and the underlying resistance switchinglayer 270. The patterning further includes one or more etching processessubsequent to the photolithography operation, such that portions of thetop electrode layer 280 and resistance switching layer 270 not coveredby the etch mask are removed by the one or more etching processes.

Because the bottom electrode 265 is shaped by the opening O1 in thepolish stop layer 250, rather than by the patterning process performedto the stack of top electrode layer 280 and resistance switching layer270, the sidewall 265 s of the bottom electrode 265 may have a differentshape than a sidewall 275 s of the resistance switching layer 275 aswell as a sidewall 285 s of the top electrode 285. By way of example,the sidewalls 275 s and 285 s of the resistance switching layer 275 andthe top electrode 285 are substantially straight, rather than convex.Moreover, the sidewalls 275 s and 285 s of the resistance switchinglayer 275 and the top electrode 285 are substantially flush with eachother in some embodiments.

After formation of the MIM structure, another IMD layer is formed overthe MIM structure and the polish stop layer 250, and a metallizationstructure (e.g. a combination of M5 and V5 as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and2) is formed in the IMD layer to be in contact with the top electrode285.

Referring now to FIG. 5, illustrated is a method M2 of forming a memorydevice in accordance with some embodiments, wherein a “dishing effect”occurs due to the CMP process of forming the bottom electrode. It isunderstood that parts of the method M2 and/or any of the exemplarymetallization and dielectric layers discussed with reference to themethod M2 may be fabricated by a BEOL process flow, and thus someprocesses are briefly described herein. FIGS. 6A, 6B and 6C arecross-sectional views of an SOC 300, which may be similar in manyaspects to SOC 100, in various stages of fabrication in accordance withsome embodiments of the present disclosure.

The method M2 begins at block S21 which may be performed following blockS13 of the method M1. In block S21, a CMP process is performed to abottom electrode layer (e.g. the bottom electrode layer 260 asillustrated in FIG. 4C) to result in an over-polished bottom electrode.With reference to FIG. 6A, in some embodiments of block S21,“over-polishing” or “dishing effect” occurs due to the nature of a CMPprocess, which in turn results in an over-polished bottom electrode 365having a concave top surface 365 t with a different shape than the topsurface 250 t of the polish stop layer 250. The concave top surface 365t would impede formation of a top corner with an obtuse angle. However,because the sidewall 365 s of the bottom electrode 365 is convex asdiscussed previously with respect to the bottom electrode 265, thesidewall 365 s of the bottom electrode 365 still extends at an obtuseangle relative to the concave top surface 365 t of the bottom electrode365. As a result, the unwanted leakage paths between the bottomelectrode 365 and a subsequently formed top electrode can still bereduced, even if “over-polishing” or “dishing effect” occurs due to thenature of the CMP process.

Returning to FIG. 5, the method M2 then proceeds to block S22 where awhere a stack of a resistance switching layer and a top electrode layeris formed over the over-polished bottom electrode and the polish stoplayer. With reference to FIG. 6B, in some embodiments of block S22, aresistance switching layer 370 and a top electrode layer 380 are formedin sequence over the over-polished bottom electrode 365 and the polishstop layer 250. The resistance switching layer 370 is a high-kdielectric layer that includes a metal oxide, as discussed previouslywith respect to the resistance switching layer 270. The top electrodelayer 380 is a metal layer as discussed previously with respect to thetop electrode layer 280.

Returning to FIG. 5, the method M2 then proceeds to block S23 where thestack of the resistance switching layer and the top electrode layer ispatterned. With reference to FIG. 6C, in some embodiments of block S23,the resistance switching layer 370 and the top electrode layer 380 arepatterned to form a stack of a resistance switching layer 375 and a topelectrode 385 over the over-polished bottom electrode 365. The bottomand top electrodes 365, 385, and the resistance switching layer 375therebetween are in combination referred to as the MIM structure of RRAMcell, as discussed previously with respect to FIGS. 1 and 2. In someembodiments, the resistance switching layer 375 is conformal to thebottom electrode 365 and thus has a curved portion 375 p in contact withthe concave top surface 365 t of the bottom electrode 365. In furtherembodiments, the top electrode 385 has a protrusion 385 p embedded inthe curved portion 375 p.

Referring now to FIG. 7, illustrated is a method M3 of forming a memorydevice in accordance with some embodiments, wherein a cleaning processis involved after the CMP process. It is understood that parts of themethod M3 and/or any of the exemplary metallization and dielectriclayers discussed with reference to the method M3 may be fabricated by aBEOL process flow, and thus some processes are briefly described herein.FIGS. 8A, 8B and 8C are cross-sectional views of an SOC 400, which maybe similar in many aspects to SOC 100, in various stages of fabricationin accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.

The method M3 begins at block S31 which may be performed following blockS14 of the method M1. In block S31, a cleaning process is performed tothe polished surface after the CMP process. With reference to FIG. 8A,in some embodiments of block 31, de-ionized water or the like may beused to clear away residue from the CMP process, such as the slurry andabrasive particles on the polished surfaces of the polish stop layer 450and of the bottom electrode 465. The cleaning process may result inthinning down the polish stop layer 450, which in turn may lead to astep height between the top surface 450 t of the polish stop layer 450and the top surface 465 t of the bottom electrode 465. Such a stepheight would result in a resistance switching layer coated around asharp corner of the bottom electrode. However, because the sidewall 465s of the bottom electrode 465 is convex as discussed previously withrespect to the bottom electrode 265, the sidewall 465 s of the bottomelectrode 465 still extends at an obtuse angle relative to the topsurface 465 t of the bottom electrode 465. As a result, a subsequentlyformed resistance switching layer 470 will be coated around a smooth topcorner, rather than a sharp top corner. Therefore, the unwanted leakagepaths between the bottom electrode 465 and a subsequently formed topelectrode can still be reduced, even if the cleaning process leads to astep height between the bottom electrode 465 and the polish stop layer450.

Returning to FIG. 7, the method M3 then proceeds to block S32 where awhere a stack of a resistance switching layer and a top electrode layeris formed over the bottom electrode and the polish stop layer. Withreference to FIG. 8B, in some embodiments of block S32, a resistanceswitching layer 470 and a top electrode layer 480 are formed in sequenceover the bottom electrode 465 and the polish stop layer 450. Theresistance switching layer 470 is a high-k dielectric layer thatincludes a metal oxide, as discussed previously with respect to theresistance switching layer 270. The top electrode layer 480 is a metallayer as discussed previously with respect to the top electrode layer280.

Returning to FIG. 7, the method M3 then proceeds to block S33 where thestack of the resistance switching layer and the top electrode layer ispatterned. With reference to FIG. 8C, in some embodiments of block S23,the resistance switching layer 470 and the top electrode layer 480 arepatterned to form a stack of a resistance switching layer 475 and a topelectrode 485 over the bottom electrode 465. The bottom and topelectrodes 465, 485, and the resistance switching layer 475 therebetweenare in combination referred to as the MIM structure of RRAM cell, asdiscussed previously with respect to FIGS. 1 and 2. In some embodiments,the resistance switching layer 475 is conformal to the bottom electrode465 and the polish stop layer 450, and hence the resistance switchingportion 475 has a stepped portion 475 p extending from the top surface450 t of the polish stop layer 450 to the top surface 465 t of thebottom electrode 465. In further embodiments, the top electrode 485 hasa stepped bottom surface 485 b in contact with and conformal to thestepped portion 475 p of the resistance switching layer 475.

Referring now to FIG. 9, illustrated is a method M4 of forming a memorydevice in accordance with some embodiments, wherein the memory devicehas a trapezoidal bottom electrode. It is understood that parts of themethod M4 and/or any of the exemplary metallization and dielectriclayers discussed with reference to the method M4 may be fabricated by aBEOL process flow, and thus some processes are briefly described herein.FIGS. 10A, 10B, 10C, 10D and 10E are cross-sectional views of an SOC500, which may be similar in many aspects to SOC 100, in various stagesof fabrication in accordance with some embodiments of the presentdisclosure.

The method M4 begins at block S41 which may be performed following blockS11 of the method M1. In block S41, an opening having a trapezoidalcross-section is formed in the polish stop layer. With reference to FIG.10A, in some embodiments of block S41, an etch process is carried out tothe polish stop layer 550 to form an opening O2 until the metalstructure 240 is exposed. Conditions of the etch process is selectedsuch that a sidewall 550 s of the opening O2 is sloped with respect tothe top surface 550 t of the polish stop layer 550 and extends at anacute angle relative to the top surface 550 t of the polish stop layer550. For example, an included angle Θ4 between the top surface 550 t ofthe polish stop layer 550 and the sidewall 550 s of the opening O1 isless than 90 degrees. In this way, the opening O2 has a trapezoidalcross-section. In some embodiments, the etching process may be dryetching, wet etching, or combinations thereof.

Returning to FIG. 9, the method M4 then proceeds to block S42 where abottom electrode layer is formed into the opening of the polish stoplayer. With reference to FIG. 10B, in some embodiments of block S42, theopening O2 in the polish stop layer 550 is overfilled with the bottomelectrode layer 560. For example, the opening O2 in the polish stoplayer 550 is filled up with a portion of the bottom electrode layer 560,and the top surface 550 t of the polish stop layer 550 is capped withanother portion of bottom electrode layer 560. Materials and fabricationof the bottom electrode layer 560 is similar as discussed previouslywith respect to the bottom electrode layer 260.

Returning to FIG. 9, the method M4 then proceeds to block S43 where aCMP process is performed to the bottom electrode layer until the polishstop layer is exposed. With reference to FIG. 10C, in some embodimentsof block S43, a CMP process is carried out to remove excess materials ofthe bottom electrode layer 560 outside the opening O2 in the polish stoplayer 550, while leaving a portion of the bottom electrode layer 560 inthe opening O2 to serve as a bottom electrode 565. In some embodiments,the bottom electrode 565 has a sidewall 565 s in contact with andconformal to the sloped sidewall 550 s of the opening O2 in the polishstop layer 550. As a result, the sidewall 565 s of the bottom electrode565 is also sloped and extends at an obtuse angle relative to the topsurface 565 t of the bottom electrode 565. For example, an includedangle Θ5 between the top surface 565 t and the sidewall 565 s of thebottom electrode 565 is greater than 90 degrees, which in turn will forma smooth top corner of the bottom electrode 565, which in turn willresult in improved control of the RRAM cell, as discussed previouslywith respect to FIGS. 1 and 2.

As illustrated in FIG. 10C, in some embodiments, the bottom electrode565 is trapezoidal because it fills the opening O2 with a trapezoidalcross-section. In further embodiments, the sidewall 565 s of the bottomelectrode 565 has a slope substantially the same as a slope of thesidewall 550 s of the opening O2 in the polish stop layer 550. In someembodiments, the bottom electrode 565 includes a top portion PT2 and abottom portion PB2 between the top portion PT2 and the metal structure240. The top and bottom portions PT2 and PB2 are trapezoidal and taperalong the same direction. For example, the top and bottom portions PT2and PB2 taper away from the metal structure 240. Stated in another way,the top and bottom portions PT2 and PB2 taper towards a resistanceswitching layer (e.g. the resistance switching layer 570 as shown inFIG. 10D). The taper profile of the top portion PT2 would result in anobtuse included angle Θ5 between the top surface 565 t and the sidewall565 s of the bottom electrode 565, which in turn will be advantageousfor reduction of unwanted leakage paths between the bottom electrode 565and a subsequently formed top electrode.

Returning to FIG. 9, the method M4 then proceeds to block S44 where awhere a stack of a resistance switching layer and a top electrode layeris formed over the over-polished bottom electrode and the polish stoplayer. With reference to FIG. 10D, in some embodiments of block S44, aresistance switching layer 570 and a top electrode layer 580 are formedin sequence over the trapezoidal bottom electrode 565 and the polishstop layer 550. The resistance switching layer 570 is a high-kdielectric layer that includes a metal oxide, as discussed previouslywith respect to the resistance switching layer 270. The top electrodelayer 580 is a metal layer as discussed previously with respect to thetop electrode layer 280.

Returning to FIG. 9, the method M4 then proceeds to block S45 where thestack of the resistance switching layer and the top electrode layer ispatterned. With reference to FIG. 10E, in some embodiments of block S45,the resistance switching layer 570 and the top electrode layer 580 arepatterned to form a stack of a resistance switching layer 575 and a topelectrode 585 over the trapezoidal bottom electrode 565. The bottom andtop electrodes 565, 585, and the resistance switching layer 575therebetween are in combination referred to as the MIM structure of RRAMcell, as discussed previously with respect to FIGS. 1 and 2.

Referring now to FIG. 11, illustrated is a method M5 of forming a memorydevice in accordance with some embodiments, wherein a dishing effectoccurs during the CMP process performed to the bottom electrode layer.It is understood that parts of the method M5 and/or any of the exemplarymetallization and dielectric layers discussed with reference to themethod M5 may be fabricated by a BEOL process flow, and thus someprocesses are briefly described herein. FIGS. 12A, 12B and 12C arecross-sectional views of an SOC 600, which may be similar in manyaspects to SOC 100, in various stages of fabrication in accordance withsome embodiments of the present disclosure.

The method M5 begins at block S21 which may be performed following blockS42 of the method M4. In block S51, a CMP process is performed to abottom electrode layer (e.g. the bottom electrode layer 560 asillustrated in FIG. 10B) to result in an over-polished bottom electrode.With reference to FIG. 12A, in some embodiments of block S51,“over-polishing” or “dishing effect” occurs due to the nature of a CMPprocess, which in turn results in an over-polished bottom electrode 665having a concave top surface 665 t with a different shape than the topsurface 550 t of the polish stop layer 550. The concave top surface 665t would impede formation of a top corner with an obtuse angle. However,because the sidewall 665 s of the bottom electrode 665 is sloped asdiscussed previously with respect to the bottom electrode 565, thesidewall 665 s of the bottom electrode 665 still extends at an obtuseangle relative to the concave top surface 665 t of the bottom electrode665. As a result, the unwanted leakage paths between the bottomelectrode 665 and a subsequently formed top electrode can still bereduced, even if “over-polishing” or “dishing effect” occurs due to thenature of the CMP process.

Returning to FIG. 11, the method M5 then proceeds to block S52 where awhere a stack of a resistance switching layer and a top electrode layeris formed over the over-polished bottom electrode and the polish stoplayer. With reference to FIG. 12B, in some embodiments of block S52, aresistance switching layer 670 and a top electrode layer 680 are formedin sequence over the over-polished bottom electrode 665 and the polishstop layer 550. The resistance switching layer 670 is a high-kdielectric layer that includes a metal oxide, as discussed previouslywith respect to the resistance switching layer 270. The top electrodelayer 680 is a metal layer as discussed previously with respect to thetop electrode layer 280.

Returning to FIG. 11, the method M5 then proceeds to block S53 where thestack of the resistance switching layer and the top electrode layer ispatterned. With reference to FIG. 12C, in some embodiments of block S53,the resistance switching layer 670 and the top electrode layer 680 arepatterned to form a stack of a resistance switching layer 675 and a topelectrode 685 over the over-polished bottom electrode 365. The bottomand top electrodes 665, 685, and the resistance switching layer 675therebetween are in combination referred to as the MIM structure of RRAMcell, as discussed previously with respect to FIGS. 1 and 2. In someembodiments, the resistance switching layer 675 is conformal to thebottom electrode 665 and thus has a curved portion 675 p in contact withthe concave top surface 665 t of the bottom electrode 665. In furtherembodiments, the top electrode 685 has a protrusion 685 p embedded inthe curved portion 675 p.

Referring now to FIG. 13, illustrated is a method M6 of forming a memorydevice in accordance with some embodiments, wherein a cleaning processis performed after forming a trapezoidal bottom electrode. It isunderstood that parts of the method M6 and/or any of the exemplarymetallization and dielectric layers discussed with reference to themethod M6 may be fabricated by a BEOL process flow, and thus someprocesses are briefly described herein. FIGS. 14A, 14B and 14C arecross-sectional views of an SOC 700, which may be similar in manyaspects to SOC 100, in various stages of fabrication in accordance withsome embodiments of the present disclosure.

The method M6 begins at block S61 which may be performed following blockS43 of the method M4. In block S61, a cleaning process is performed tothe polished surface after the CMP process of forming the trapezoidalbottom electrode 765. With reference to FIG. 14A, in some embodiments ofblock 61, de-ionized water or the like may be used to clear away residuefrom the CMP process, such as the slurry and abrasive particles on thepolished surfaces of the polish stop layer 750 and of the trapezoidalbottom electrode 765. The cleaning process may result in thinning downthe polish stop layer 750, which in turn will lead to a step heightbetween the top surface 750 t of the polish stop layer 750 and the topsurface 765 t of the trapezoidal bottom electrode 765. Such a stepheight would result in a resistance switching layer coated around asharp corner of the bottom electrode. However, because the sidewall 765s of the trapezoidal bottom electrode 765 is sloped as discussedpreviously with respect to the bottom electrode 565, the sidewall 765 sof the bottom electrode 765 still extends at an obtuse angle relative tothe concave top surface 765 t of the bottom electrode 765. As a result,a subsequently formed resistance switching layer 770 (as shown in FIG.14B) will be coated around a smooth top corner, rather than a sharp topcorner. Therefore, the unwanted leakage paths between the trapezoidalbottom electrode 765 and a subsequently formed top electrode can stillbe reduced, even if the cleaning process leads to a step height betweenthe trapezoidal bottom electrode 765 and the polish stop layer 750.

Returning to FIG. 13, the method M6 then proceeds to block S62 where awhere a stack of a resistance switching layer and a top electrode layeris formed over the trapezoidal bottom electrode and the polish stoplayer. With reference to FIG. 14B, in some embodiments of block S62, aresistance switching layer 770 and a top electrode layer 780 are formedin sequence over the trapezoidal bottom electrode 765 and the polishstop layer 750. The resistance switching layer 770 is a high-kdielectric layer that includes a metal oxide, as discussed previouslywith respect to the resistance switching layer 270. The top electrodelayer 780 is a metal layer as discussed previously with respect to thetop electrode layer 280.

Returning to FIG. 13, the method M6 then proceeds to block S63 where thestack of the resistance switching layer and the top electrode layer ispatterned. With reference to FIG. 14C, in some embodiments of block S33,the resistance switching layer 770 and the top electrode layer 780 arepatterned to form a stack of a resistance switching layer 775 and a topelectrode 785 over the bottom electrode 765. The bottom and topelectrodes 765, 785, and the resistance switching layer 775 therebetweenare in combination referred to as the MIM structure of RRAM cell, asdiscussed previously with respect to FIGS. 1 and 2. In some embodiments,the resistance switching layer 775 is conformal to the bottom electrode765 and the polish stop layer 750, and hence the resistance switchingportion 775 has a stepped portion 775 p extending from the top surface750 t of the polish stop layer 750 to the top surface 765 t of thebottom electrode 765. In further embodiments, the top electrode 785 hasa stepped bottom surface 485 b in contact with and conformal to thestepped portion 775 p of the resistance switching layer 775.

Based on the above discussions, it can be seen that the presentdisclosure offers advantages. It is understood, however, that otherembodiments may offer additional advantages, and not all advantages arenecessarily disclosed herein, and that no particular advantage isrequired for all embodiments. One advantage is that unwanteddistribution of filaments around the corner of the bottom electrode ofthe RRAM cell can be prevented, which in turn will be advantageous forreducing unwanted leakage paths between the bottom and top electrodes.Another advantage is that reliability of the RRAM cell can be improvedbecause of the reduction of unwanted leakage paths.

In some embodiments, a method of forming a memory device includes:forming a polish stop layer over a metallization layer in an inter-metaldielectric layer; performing an etching process to form an opening inthe polish stop layer, in which a sidewall of the opening extends at anacute angle relative to a top surface of the polish stop layer; formingan electrode material in the opening and over the polish stop layer;planarizing the electrode material until a top surface of the polishstop layer is exposed so as to form a bottom electrode surrounded by thepolish stop layer; and forming a stack of a resistance switching layerand a top electrode over the bottom electrode.

In some embodiments, a method of forming a memory device includes:forming a dielectric layer over a metallization layer in an inter-metaldielectric layer; performing an etching process to form an opening inthe dielectric layer; forming a bottom electrode in the opening; forminga resistance switching layer over the bottom electrode; forming a topelectrode layer over the resistance switching layer; and etching the topelectrode layer and the resistance switching layer until the dielectriclayer is exposed such that the etched resistance switching layer extendspast opposite edges of the bottom electrode.

In some embodiments, a method of forming a memory device includes:forming a polish stop layer over a metallization layer in a dielectriclayer; performing an etching process to form an opening in thedielectric layer; forming an electrode material in the opening and overthe dielectric layer; planarizing the electrode material until a topsurface of the dielectric layer is exposed; after planarizing theelectrode material, performing a cleaning process on the electrodematerial and the dielectric layer, in which the cleaning process thinsdown the dielectric layer to a position lower than a top surface of theelectrode material; forming a stack of a resistance switching layer anda top electrode over the bottom electrode.

The foregoing outlines features of several embodiments so that thoseskilled in the art may better understand the aspects of the presentdisclosure. Those skilled in the art should appreciate that they mayreadily use the present disclosure as a basis for designing or modifyingother processes and structures for carrying out the same purposes and/orachieving the same advantages of the embodiments introduced herein.Those skilled in the art should also realize that such equivalentconstructions do not depart from the spirit and scope of the presentdisclosure, and that they may make various changes, substitutions, andalterations herein without departing from the spirit and scope of thepresent disclosure.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of forming a memory device, comprising:forming a polish stop layer over a metallization layer in an inter-metaldielectric layer; performing an etching process to form an opening inthe polish stop layer, wherein a sidewall of the opening extends at anacute angle relative to a top surface of the polish stop layer; forminga first electrode material in the opening and over the polish stoplayer; planarizing the first electrode material until a top surface ofthe polish stop layer is exposed so as to form a bottom electrodesurrounded by the polish stop layer; and forming a stack of a resistanceswitching layer and a top electrode over the bottom electrode.
 2. Themethod of claim 1, wherein performing the etching process to form theopening is performed such that the sidewall of the opening is concave.3. The method of claim 1, wherein the etching process comprises anisotropic etching process.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein forming thepolish stop layer is performed such that the polish stop layer is incontact with an interface between the metallization layer and theinter-metal dielectric layer.
 5. The method of claim 1, wherein thepolish stop layer comprises a carbon-doped material.
 6. The method ofclaim 1, wherein planarizing the first electrode material is performedsuch that a top surface of the first electrode material is substantiallylevel with the top surface of the polish stop layer.
 7. The method ofclaim 1, further comprising: after planarizing the first electrodematerial, performing a cleaning process on the bottom electrode and thepolish stop layer, wherein the cleaning process thins down the polishstop layer to a position lower than a top surface of the bottomelectrode.
 8. The method of claim 1, wherein the cleaning process isperformed using de-ionized water.
 9. The method of claim 1, whereinforming the stack of the resistance switching layer and the topelectrode comprises: forming a resistance switching material extendingalong a top surface of the bottom electrode and along the top surface ofthe polish stop layer; and forming a second electrode material extendingalong a top surface of the resistance switching material.
 10. The methodof claim 8, further comprising: removing portions of the resistanceswitching material and the second electrode material until the polishstop layer is exposed.
 11. A method of forming a memory device,comprising: forming a dielectric layer over a metallization layer in aninter-metal dielectric layer; performing an etching process to form anopening in the dielectric layer; forming a bottom electrode in theopening; forming a resistance switching layer over the bottom electrode;forming a top electrode layer over the resistance switching layer; andetching the top electrode layer and the resistance switching layer untilthe dielectric layer is exposed such that the etched resistanceswitching layer extends past opposite edges of the bottom electrode. 12.The method of claim 11, wherein forming the bottom electrode isperformed such that a top surface of the bottom electrode issubstantially level with the top surface of the dielectric layer. 13.The method of claim 11, wherein forming the resistance switching layeris performed such that the resistance switching layer extends across aninterface between the bottom electrode and the dielectric layer.
 14. Themethod of claim 11, further comprising: after forming the bottomelectrode, cleaning the bottom electrode and the dielectric layer,wherein once the cleaning is complete, a top surface of the dielectriclayer is lower than a top surface of the bottom electrode.
 15. Themethod of claim 11, wherein etching the top electrode layer and theresistance switching layer is performed such that a width of the etchedtop electrode layer is wider than a width of the bottom electrode.
 16. Amethod of forming a memory device, comprising: forming a polish stoplayer over a metallization layer in a dielectric layer; performing anetching process to form an opening in the dielectric layer; forming anelectrode material in the opening and over the dielectric layer;planarizing the electrode material until a top surface of the dielectriclayer is exposed; after planarizing the electrode material, performing acleaning process on the electrode material and the dielectric layer,wherein the cleaning process thins down the dielectric layer to aposition lower than a top surface of the electrode material; and forminga stack of a resistance switching layer and a top electrode over thebottom electrode.
 17. The method of claim 16, wherein the cleaningprocess is performed prior to forming the stack of the resistanceswitching layer and the top electrode.
 18. The method of claim 16,wherein the cleaning process is performed using de-ionized water. 19.The method of claim 16, wherein the cleaning process removes slurry andabrasive particles used in the planarizing process from the electrodematerial and the dielectric layer.
 20. The method of claim 16, whereinforming the stack of the resistance switching layer and the topelectrode is performed such that the resistance switching layer is incontact with a sidewall of an upper portion of the planarized electrodematerial.